David’s Compact, Collected & Comfy Mid-Century Apartment in Houston

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published Jan 2, 2016

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

Downtown, Houston, Texas

Style

Mid-Century Modern

Bedrooms

Square feet

817

Sq ft

817

Name: David Jameson (with Treasure Hance)
Location: Downtown — Houston, Texas
Size: 817 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Rented

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Working with 817 square feet of space can be a challenge, especially if you are a collector. David, however, manages to pull off the seemingly impossible by arranging years worth of procurements in an ingenious way, making every inch of his apartment interesting and beautiful.

(Image credit: Katy Cartland)

David is a data service manager for Service Corporation International, and his girlfriend, Treasure, is the salon manager at CutLoose Salon, as well as the icon education coordinator at Be.Creative House for Bumble and bumble. In addition to her day jobs, Treasure and her sister Summer have started a new custom pillow line called Abbott+Rion (you’ll spot some of their cushions in the living room and bedroom).

David’s home sits in the Rice Lofts, a historic building in the heart of downtown Houston. The building was formerly the Rice Hotel, a famous spot from the early 1900s to the late 1970s; it underwent a major restoration/renovation in the late 1990s.

David’s apartment is an amalgamation of his love for music, mid-century design, art, and technology. Nothing about this home is ordinary or boring. The design is beautiful, but the beloved pieces and the personal details that bring life to each corner are what really make this apartment special.

(Image credit: Katy Cartland)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Mid-century, but comfortable

Inspiration: I was initially inspired by my best friend, Chris Ballou, and his wife, Cindi Strauss, who is the design curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Cindi and Chris collect great objects and have a wonderful style that is interesting and functional.

Favorite Element: A few years ago I found a Russel Wright carafe with the original cork stopper, which is the rarest piece in the collection—only a few are known to exist. I also love my Shio Kusaka white ceramic bowl and Scott Calhoun paintings.

Biggest Challenge: The pantry is tiny and there are not a lot of kitchen cabinets. After living in New York City for some time, I was able to live with certain elements being out in the open, like the liquor and spices, however.

What Friends Say: They don’t say anything mean if they want me to make them a cocktail.

Proudest DIY: Installing a NEST thermostat, which paid for itself in the first few months.

Biggest Indulgence: I would say the Eames storage unit, but if I think about it, it’s probably all the records!

Best Advice: Don’t buy big ticket items without walking away from it first. If you still want it after 24 hours, go for it. If you feel you can live without it, keep looking.

Dream Sources: Design Within Reach, Knoll, and Kuhl-Lindscomb in Houston. I still love eBay for vintage, but finding good deals is tough now.

Resources

(Image credit: Katy Cartland)

LIVING ROOM

Blue velvet sofa: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Custom pillows: Abbott+Rion
Rosewood Knoll Credenza: used office furniture store in Houston
Eames Storage Unit: Design Within Reach
Red Pro-Ject turntable: Needle Doctor
Used cameras: eBay
Eggshell vase: Marcel Wanders
Untitled (Green Grid 13): Shio Kusaka
Crevasse flower vase: Zaha Hadid

(Image credit: Katy Cartland)

DINING ROOM

Dining table: Eames Rosewood conference table from local office furniture reseller
White ceramic bowl: Untitled (Bowl 1) by Shio Kusaka from Anton Kern Gallery in NYC
Side chairs: Eames DSRs from Vitra
End chairs: Eames DFARs from Design Within Reach
Malcolm Mooney Sleeve by Zak Prekop: Shane Campbell Gallery in Chicago